Margaret J Pollard Obituary
When Margaret passed into the hands of God, our world was stilled, and the hearts of many saddened.
Margaret J. Pollard.
11 May 1929 – 09 January 2025
Born in Swindon, U.K., to Arthur and Elsie Cowdery, Margaret was the youngest by 11 years of three siblings. In childhood, she was steeped in nature, playing in the country-garden of their family home at “the Wick” in Oxfordshire and punting on the Cherwell.
During World War II, packing a gas mask to school every day, she endured the day-to-day hardships of war. At the tender age of 14, she suffered the trauma of her father’s premature death.
Always adventurous, three years later, she joined the Women’s Land Army. At a dairy farm in Cornwall, she cleaned bottles and delivered milk to villages on the windswept moors.
Returning to London, she took up studies in the newly emerging medical discipline Physiotherapy. Shortly after graduating, an advertisement for openings in Canada caught her eye. In December 1952, she travelled by ship and train to BC to assume her new position in Port Alberni.
“Port Alberni was a paradise compared to post-war London – it was a boomtown surrounded by untouched natural beauty”, said Margaret. She joined the local tennis club and went on to win the ladies singles’ championship. On the May 1953 long weekend, Margaret took part in a strenuous hiking trip to Long Beach which then had no road connection to Port Alberni. The President of the Nanaimo Tennis Club, Tony, was the organizer. Margaret and Tony fell in love; the rest is history.
And what a history! Margaret and Tony were devoted partners for the next 68 years, living in Nanaimo, Seton-Portage, Nelson, and Victoria. While raising four children, Margaret stayed active in her physiotherapy profession; her skills were always sought-after.
Some of the remote places where she and Tony lived lacked pre-school education: Margaret saw a need, completed a UBC correspondence program in Early Childhood Education, then in 1960 opened the first kindergarten in Gordon Head.
Raising a family in isolated places without much outside support was not easy, but Margaret and Tony rose to the challenge. They also embraced opportunities to enjoy the outdoors: hauling their big green canvas tent in a ’55 Dodge station wagon for car camping trips, picking blackberries for jam-making, and fishing off their waterfront lot at Hornby Island.
Margaret delighted in flowers of any kind – especially wildflowers! – and knew many of their names. On one hike to Della Falls in Strathcona Park, the beauty of the alpine meadows so struck her that she vowed, “If I ever have a daughter, I shall name her DELLA.” – which is exactly what she did!
In retirement, Margaret was a keen member of two women’s walking groups. She loved exploring Butchart Gardens, admiring the floral displays season after season. Often, she walked with her caregiver along the Sidney waterfront, pausing with a thermos of tea and cookies to enjoy the ever-changing sea view.
Though comfortable wearing a Gore-Tex jacket and hiking boots, Margaret was a true lady and particular about her attire. She always served house guests tea with her best china. The picnic table was never set without a tablecloth!
At age 50, Margaret tackled another challenge: breast cancer. Grateful for her survival, she later mentored many women through their own cancer treatment. She took part in fundraising events: dragon boating races, March of Dimes, and Run for the Cure. Subsequently, she volunteered as a spiritual counsellor to patients at Victoria General Hospital.
Sharp-minded and curious, Margaret was the Queen of Scrabble. She wrote a daily diary, regularly checked her email, solved the daily crossword, and kept abreast of current affairs, whether by CHEK TV or the “Times Colonist”.
Margaret was a committed Christian and active in the Anglican Church. She created church gardens, helped with strawberry teas, led a flower guild, organized plant sales, and sang alto in the choir.
But Margaret was no angel. Her determined ways could at times fray nerves! But her gentle, caring soul more than compensated.
Less than 24 hours before her death, ailing in Saanich Peninsula Hospital, her last words that day were: “Tomorrow I really want to get out in my walker!”
Many will miss Margaret, especially her children David (Annette), Della (Rick), Colin (Christel), Roger; grandchildren Courtney (Connor), Graeme (Marie), Danielle (Sterling), Stephen, Jacob, Gabriel, Benjamin, Samuel, Theodore, Lucas, Lauren; great-grandchildren Finley, Addison, Maxen; nieces Kathyrn, Erica, Carol, Gillian; nephews Richard, Nick, Desmond; and her devoted caregivers Vilma, Lindsay, Plerie, Lorna and Aida.
Please join us to celebrate Margaret’s life 1:00 pm on Saturday, 8 March 2025 at St. Stephen Anglican Church, 7921 St. Stephens Rd., Saanichton. In lieu of flowers, please make a donation. Margaret’s favourite charities were The BC Cancer Society and The Saanich Peninsula Hospital & Healthcare Foundation.
From https://www.legacy.com/ca/obituaries/timescolonist/name/margaret-pollard-obituary?id=57357748